The invention relates to military equipment of the kind described in European Patent EP A-No. 23441 comprising a turret mounted for rotation about a vertical axis and supporting, by means of a swivelling device with horizontal axis, a main heavy gun totally external to the turret, having its own shield and being approximately in a plane passing through the axis of rotation of the turret, the swivelling device comprising two lateral supports surrounding the gun and supporting the latter (or a part joining it to the lateral supports) via bearing means so as to define an elevational swivelling axis situated behind the rotational axis of the turret, one of the supports and the armour plating of the weapon having oppositely situated openings for forming a protected feed channel for a system for supplying the weapon shot by shot with ammunition from inside the turret.
This arrangement has a number of advantages. On the other hand, it requires causing each round of ammunition to follow a defined path in its turn. A gun loading system given by way of example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,693(Dumez) comprises a conveyor passing through one of the supports and allowing the rounds of ammunition to be brought one at a time from a manual loading station, situated in the turret, to a transfer station situated in the armour plating of the main weapon itself, whence it is taken up again by a mechanism for shifting the piece of ammunition laterally then introducing it axially into the breech. As a counterpart to the convenience which this arrangement offers the gunner, it requires a conveyor capable of accomodating considerable modifications of the position of the transfer station with respect to the manual loading station.
It is an object of the invention to provide military equipment of the above defined kind comprising a loading system of relatively simple construction, which accomodates large elevational deflection of the weapon, and simple to mount.
With this end in view, the invention provides equipment whose feed system forms an integrated assembly intended to be placed inside the armour plating of the weapon, having means for transversely moving a carriage over slides belonging to a plate capable of being fixed to the armour plating between an axial position where an ammunition cradle supported by the carriage is aligned with a weapon and a position lateral to the weapon, and means for moving the loading cradle between a rear position for transport by the carriage and a front position accessible from inside the turret for placing a piece of ammunition therein.
The cradle is formed advantageously by a tube open along a generatrix whose ends are suspended from a chain for moving it and swinging it from front to rear, which tube is provided with means for retaining the ammunition in the tube and is able to support those for introducing it axially into the weapon.
The invention will be better understood from reading the following description of a particular embodiment, given by way of non limiting example.